53 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(12/04/18 5:26pm)
By Connor Smith, Elizabeth Zakaim, Miguel Gonzalez, Emmy Liederman, & Gianna Melillo
Signal Staff
Within the past month, one student on campus was called various racial slurs from the third floor of Wolfe Hall and a building services employee encountered a racial slur while cleaning the Interactive Multimedia Building. Now, Campus Police has received a complaint about another racial slur –– a student, whose name has not yet been released, was the target of an alleged racist slur that, according to Campus Police, occurred on Friday Nov. 30 at 1:30 a.m at Landmark Americana in Campus Town.
Incident at Landmark Americana
Campus Police is currently conducting an ongoing investigation of the “incident of racial bias,” that occurred at Landmark.
According to Kyle Veale, Landmark’s director of operations, a student was called “the N-word” in the bathroom of the bar. Employees questioned everyone in the bathroom at the time, but no one came forward or took responsibility. The names of the people in the bathroom were given to Campus Police that same day, and Veale said that Landmark has been in touch with the student after the event occurred.
“This disappointing event has brought to light our need for additional sensitivity training that we will be putting in place,” Veale said. “We’ve worked really hard to create a fun and welcoming space for the TCNJ and Ewing communities to enjoy.”
According to College spokesperson David Muha, Landmark has cooperated in handing in security camera footage from that evening, which will now serve as evidence for the investigation.
However, according to Muha, Campus Police is limited in what it can do in terms of this incident, because it technically occurred off campus.
“By terms of our lease with the property manager, TCNJ Campus Police are responsible for responding to calls for service on the property,” Muha said. “They are only able to enforce actions that rise to the level of a crime under New Jersey or federal law.”
Muha still encourages people to report any incidents that arise.
“The college is committed to an inclusive campus environment where all members are valued and respected,” he said. “Anyone encountering hate speech should report it to Campus Police so that the College can take appropriate action.”
‘I Am TCNJ’
As a response to the recent incidents of racism at the College, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and Student Government hosted a panel titled ‘I Am TCNJ’ at noon on Nov. 28 in Kendall Hall to address concerns about inclusivity on campus.
While the campus community crowded into Kendall Hall to take part in the event, coverage was also transmitted live to audiences in the Brower Student Center and in the Education Building Room 115.
The panel included College President Kathryn Foster, Ivonne Cruz, director of the Equal Opportunity Fund and Center for Student Success, Winnifred Brown-Glaude, chair of the African-American Studies Department, and Eashwayne Haughton, senior philosophy major and Student Government’s vice president of diversity and inclusion.
Foster relayed the College’s failure to properly deal with instances of prejudice both recently and in past years. She offered specific directives to help ensure more immediate changes both at an academic and administrative level.
“Many on campus labor consistently to make this campus a healthy, safe, welcoming and inclusive place ... but our racist incidents reflect that we are not yet healthy, safe, welcoming and inclusive to the level that we aspire to and must demand,” Foster said.
Foster spoke of her plan to appoint a vice president for inclusion on campus and elaborated on the need for an individual in administration to take charge with responding and preventing incidents of racial bias on campus.
“What’s important is that we have a person sitting on the cabinet that is reporting to the president, crafting and implementing a strategic agenda and waking up every day to work on these issues,” she said.
She went on to ask each member of the panel what they would expect from such an individual.
Cruz responded to Foster’s inquiry by emphasizing the need for protocol in situations of racial bias.
“We need to make sure the staff and faculty know where to go,” Cruz said of future incident reporting. “We have blurred the lines between feeling uncomfortable and unsafe on campus.”
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Sean Stallings, the moderator at the forum, opened the floor for questions and feedback while Foster took diligent notes.
Many students and faculty members were adamant about having comprehensive training sessions for students, faculty, administration and Campus Police, that would address the importance of racial sensitivity.
“You can’t have one office holding the responsibility of changing the climate,” Brown-Glaude said. “We all have to be responsible. We’re going to need anti-racist training on this campus. It has to start from the top, all the way to the bottom.”
Community adviser Vanessa Jimenez, a senior history and secondary education dual major, felt that Residential Education’s student-staff also needed more deliberate training to help CAs better respond to incidents involving hate crimes or racial bias.
“I can attest to the fact that our training isn’t as valuable as it could be with inclusion and diversity,” she said. “It was a little better this year but it was more of a conversation about what inclusion and diversity is, less about how to handle conflict situations.”
Furthermore, as McKenna Samson, a sophomore English and African-American studies double major, and secretary of the College’s NAACP chapter pointed out, the College’s student conduct code does not include explicit information or guidelines about hate crimes or instances of prejudice.
The legal definition of a hate crime in the U.S. is one that “involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability,” according to USLegal.com.
When asked how she thought the forum went, Samson said she was filled with mixed emotions.
“I think it’s very productive that we’re having this conversation,” she said. “I wish it was longer –– they should dedicate an entire afternoon to this discussion.”
The members of the panel promised that this forum was only the beginning of a longer discussion of inclusiveness on campus.
“We will have action,” Haughton said. “This will not end here. I feel it with you. I can promise you we will continue to fight. This does not stop here. As students, as your peer, I feel you and I understand you. Keep holding us accountable. We will not allow this to be brushed under the rug.”
Another audience member happened to be the father of one of the students, Marcus Allen, who was recently verbally harassed on campus. On the night of Nov. 16, Allen and other African-American students, brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., were the targets of racial slurs coming from the third floor of Wolfe Hall. Aaron Allen, who said he worked at the College as a building services employee for about 15 years, gave an impassioned speech, demanding that the College take action so that his son would not have to feel unwelcome on his own campus.
“I pay this college and Campus Police way too much money for my son not to be protected and safe,” his father said, addressing the panel directly amid cheers and standing ovations from the audience. “You keep talking about words and all this, it looks pretty, it looks nice, but where are the actions at? I don’t want to hear about tomorrow, or next week, or ‘we’re going to have a meeting, we’re going to get a group.’ The group is right here. Look at all these people. These people are your group.”
He then stepped forward closer to the stage to address Foster directly, saying that administration in charge during his time as a business employee at the College did little to change the attitude of racism on campus.
“I’m telling you face to face,” he said. “You know what you did? You did what you’re doing now –– you sat down and never stood for nothing.”
Incident in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building
While most of the campus was sleeping during the early hours of a chilly Thursday night, a building services employee was busy cleaning the third floor of the Art and Interactive Multimedia building, as she has been every Sunday through Thursday, for the past 11 years. She went about her routine thoroughly but quickly, in an effort to leave the dark building, where she often cleans alone.
However, at around 2 a.m. on Nov. 1, she was shocked to find a mess that she could not bear to clean –– a racial slur scribbled in what looked like magic marker next to a clogged toilet in the bathroom on the third floor.
“It’s not the first time ever, I’ve seen something like this,” said the employee, who agreed to the interview on the condition of anonymity. “It had to be erased.”
A police report filed last month details the racial incident that took place. A racist slur was written on the stall in the third floor women’s bathroom, with an arrow underneath pointing to a toilet overflowing with feces. According to police records, officers currently have no leads on the suspected perpetrators of the vandalism.
After Campus Police arrived and documented the incident, the building services employee had to call maintenance to help clean off the mess and unclog the toilet. As shocking as the encounter was, she said that it was not the first time she witnessed racial slurs in the form of graffiti in the IMM building. She said that about two years ago, she had seen other forms of vandalization and had also seen swastikas hanging on the walls of one of the bathrooms on the second floor.
“I feel upset about it,” she said. “I feel like I shouldn’t have to come to my job and see these types of things. Anybody, their work environment, their study environment, shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
The employee, who believes that majority of building services workers are African-American, feels that the slurs potentially target her and the other workers. Instead of witnessing instances of intolerance, she would rather people just walk away from the temptation to be antagonistic.
“Some people you’re going to get along with and some people you won’t get along with, but the main thing is you respect people,” she said. “I don’t care who or what you are, you respect people. That’s the bottom line. You don’t care for a person, leave that person alone, stay away from them.”
She wants to see a change in the College’s attitude toward minorities –– from both students and administration. She believes that Foster has the power to make a difference during her tenure and that her hands on attitude will serve her well in dealing with these incidents.
“We have to do something about this,” she said. “We have to come together and figure out something. Try to do something about this. Everybody, college wise, community wise, we all human beings. Derogatories and racial slurs, not matter what your culture, that should not be tolerated. It should not be tolerated. We have to take a stance. This is our college community.”
If people are willing to be open about their differences and accepting of each other’s diversity, she feels that true change is possible.
“Bring it to the light, bring it to the forefront so we can all discuss and listen (to) different ideas,” she said. “Even a lot of students might not even be aware of the history of different cultures. We should learn from it. If you don’t know –– ask.”
Students React
Students in attendance had much to say about the forum and the various incidents of racial bias.
Samson was one of the students involved in making a flyer disseminated this week that is calling for the boycotting of Landmark. The flyer claims that one of Landmark’s managers tried to cover up the alleged incident. The flyer also claims, and Landmark denies, that bouncers at the bar “used unnecessary physical force on two black students.”
Samson wants the campus community to be more aware of the increasing racial tension on campus.
“I want the campus community to see the way Landmark treats their patrons of color, especially those that should be treated as victims of hate crimes,” she said. “They need to be exposed for their poor business practices. For yet another person to be the victim of a very similar hate crime saddens me. As a black student, I have nothing but empathy for them. For people within the TCNJ community to go out of their way to call them such a disgusting slur angers me in the worst way.”
She had hoped that the forum would have done more to foster an inclusive and accepting atmosphere on campus.
“I feel like we just took two steps forward with the forum and now we’re taking five steps backwards,” she said.
Some were glad to have the open forum, but felt that more time could be dedicated to such discussion. Other students felt that more needed to be done to hold the students who spoke the racial slurs accountable for their actions.
“I expect to see a punishment,” said sophomore biology major Damion Anglin. “I expect to see something implemented to prevent this from happening again.”
Others felt that there was a need for more action.
“It is evident that action has to happen or nothing will change,” said Tara Cartier, a junior nursing major. “I feel that the College … is committed to taking action.”
Many students saw this forum as the first step to combating racism on campus and stressed the importance of follow-up and holding people accountable.
“I think the large volume of people who came out is indicative of the climate on campus in which many people not only feel uncomfortable, but unsafe,” said Danielle Parks, a senior philosophy major. “I think it is important that the forum took place, but I think we’re all still waiting to see what happens next, specifically to see what will happen to those students who committed this hate crime.”
Others felt that the forum could have gone more in depth to address the sensitive issues.
“The panel did a good job addressing issues ... though I felt the forum was a bit short,” said Cohere Elliston, a sophomore history major. He thought that a similar event should take place in the future to continue the dialogue. “I feel it was somewhat effective because people are talking about (race issues) but I think only people of color are the main ones talking, while a lot of white people aren’t as comfortable talking about it.”
Patricia Calderone, a senior philosophy and political science double major, appreciated the authenticity of those who spoke up during the discussion.
“I thought it was really informative and raw,” she said. “People got really vulnerable and opened themselves up … this time (the College) was forced to listen.”
(09/26/18 12:21am)
By Connor Smith
Former Editor in Chief
BoJack Horseman is an asshole. The talking horse (voiced by Will Arnett) is selfish, rude and apathetic toward everyone around him. He takes advantage of close friends and enables their worst habits. Yet, after several seasons of unspeakable acts, I still root for him to be happy. But should I?
The fifth season of Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman” grapples with that very issue. In 12 new episodes, “BoJack” provides stellar commentary on entertainment culture, substance abuse, #MeToo and more — with just enough animal puns and visual gags to remind you it’s a cartoon.
BoJack spends the season working on the set of “Philbert,” a new crime drama in which he plays a rogue detective who’s spiraling out of control. As the season goes on, the line between the world of Philbert and BoJack becomes blurred, especially since the set is an exact replica of BoJack’s home.
“BoJack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg uses “Philbert” as a vehicle to discuss how many shows, including “BoJack” itself, glorify unacceptable behavior and make terrible people seem relatable. The writers show why doing so sets a bad example for viewers and Hollywood executives alike. The “Philbert” set also covers how power vultures in Hollywood make a set an unsafe place rife with harassment and exploitation.
This season is loaded with inventive storytelling angles. One episode is told entirely as a Buzzfeed-esque travel guide. In another, “Free Churro,” Arnett is the only voice for 26 minutes. In it, BoJack gives a eulogy. It’s one of Arnett’s best performances in the series. There’s several tangents, and a few great payoffs. One of the most powerful lines is about his time playing the Danny Tanner-type on the ’90s sit-com, “Horsin’ Around.”
“You can't have happy endings in sitcoms, not really, because if everyone's happy, the show would be over, and above all else, the show … has to keep going,” he says. “There's always more show. And you can call ‘Horsin' Around’ dumb, or bad, or unrealistic, but there is nothing more realistic than that. You never get a happy ending, 'cause there's always more show.”
Throughout the season, BoJack continues to struggle with substance abuse, but this time he’s held more accountable for his actions — both past and present. Meanwhile, Diane (Alison Brie) and Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) are finally divorced after years of incompatibility; they both cope with it in different ways.
We also learn more about Princess Carolyn’s (Amy Sedaris) upbringing, which includes powerful performances by Sedaris and cameos by Daveed Diggs, of “Hamilton,” and Whoopi Goldberg. Todd (Aaron Paul) continues to stumble to success, as he also explores his asexuality, which, ironically, leads into the most shameless #MeToo metaphor ever.
Though it’s a cartoon with talking animals and absurd gags, “BoJack” always knows how to make you feel. It’s the perfect balance of hyper-accurate representations of sadness and personal strife, oddly relatable characters (given how absurdly rich and detached from reality most of them are) and some good laughs.
Get ready to feel sad. Then laugh. Then get hit with one devastating development after another.
If you haven’t watched BoJack, or stopped midway through season one, now’s the time to binge-watch it all. Otherwise, you’re missing out on something special.
(04/03/18 6:44am)
By Connor Smith
Former Editor-in-Chief
Love him or hate him, almost everyone in the crowd for the spring lecture raised their hand when speaker Stephen A. Smith asked who wanted his job at ESPN.
“I stand before you as Stephen A. Smith,” he said. “Relatively popular. I look halfway decent. I dress quite nice. … You’ve seen me at the games, right? You see them $3,000, $4,000 seats courtside? I was there — for free. I flew to the game first class — for free. I stayed at five-star hotels — for free. I ate five-star meals — I ain’t pay for that. I’m living quite well, if I should say so myself — for free. Who wouldn’t want that job?”
Smith, a longtime sports writer, commentator and co-host of “First Take” on ESPN, gave everyone seated in the Brower Student Center Room 100 the kind of lecture his fans would expect — one that was loud, candid and full of flowery adjectives. At one point, he even repeated a claim that had he gone to law school instead of pursuing journalism, he would have beat Johnnie Cochran and “put (O.J. Simpson’s) behind under the jail.”
“I don’t mean I would have beat him, me some novice, but I mean if I were a lawyer with the same level of education and intellect as the late, great Johnnie Cochran — God rest his soul — there is no way in hell he would have beat me with the O.J. trial,” Smith explained in an interview with The Signal. “Christopher Darden or Marcia Clark? I would not have been them. I would have won that case. Because my attitude is, with that evidence and that level at skill that I just referred to Johnnie Cochran having, nothing would stop me. Because it would come down to my ability to convince 12 jurors to believe me more than to believe you.”
Though Smith’s stakes are far lower on “First Take,” he’s proven to be a powerful debater since joining the show full-time in 2012.
For his lecture, Smith gave personal and professional advice for 43 minutes, then fielded questions for another 42 minutes. A few students, almost exclusively male sports fans, even tried to debate Smith, but as he warned he would earlier in the night, Smith destroyed them without hesitation. He never really needed a microphone, and through all the speaking and hollering, his voice never seemed to strain.
Smith began by emphasizing the importance of healthy habits, then went on to discuss the myth that anyone can be anything they want.
“‘You can be whatever you wanna be!’ No the hell you can’t,” he said. “You cannot. You can’t be whatever you want to be if you’re not willing to put in the work. You can’t be whatever you want to be if you don’t know what your gift is. You can’t be whatever you want to be if you don’t have some kind of cohesiveness, some kind of connection between what you want and what you know your skill level is.”
Smith believes that many people need to face the harsh reality that what they want may not be compatible with what they are most suited for.
“Some of you might wanna be a doctor; you’re made to be a lawyer, or vice versa,” he said. “But nobody preaches to you about the importance of knowing what your gift is. And the reason why that’s so important is that the people that you’re competing against, some of them are going to know. They gonna have that connection. They gonna know what they gifts are and where their passions lie, all at the same time. And as a result, they gonna have an upper hand.”
He also emphasized the importance of knowing what your boss wants, and in his case, what your audience is looking for.
“No one has ever turned me away when I’ve used these words: ‘What can I do to help you make money.’ That has been my approach,” Smith said. “Some people will sit up there and they’ll tell you, ‘Oh, selling out. Oh, you’re selling yourself.’ Ignore these people — they’re broke. Pay no attention to them. I’m not talking broke in terms of monetarily, I’m talking spiritually.”
When the question and answer period began, Smith immediately fielded questions about his former “First Take” co-host Skip Bayless, and whether he’s “as dumb as he seems in person.”
Though earlier Smith joked about how some people never recover when he destroys them in a debate, he was sincere and respectful when discussing Bayless’ impact on his life.
“First of all: Respect your elders,” he fired back. “That’s one of the problems with the younger generation. Sometimes y’all don’t respect your elders. But they paved the way. You wouldn’t be you if it wasn’t for them. Number two: Skip Bayless is far from dumb. Skip Bayless is one of the most knowledgeable sports minds that you will ever encounter, it’s just that his perspective is different.”
Other questions ranged from general sports queries to hot topics like Lavar Ball. In his biggest dunk of the night, Smith responded to a Philadelphia 76ers fan who wanted him to acknowledge former General Manager Sam Hinkie for the team’s current success.
“First of all, you done lost the argument because there’s about three or four players that you said were great that had no business having great associated with their name,” Smith said.
When the fan tried to respond, Smith replied, “You had your chance to speak. Sit back and take it.”
Smith argued for several minutes, outlining exactly why losing games for draft picks is an embarrassment, though he pinned the blame on owner Josh Harris, not Hinkie.
Through the entire night, Smith emphasized that working hard, knowing what people want and knowing what he’s talking about are all keys to his success. If everyone there listened, the College might be a far different place — something Smith discussed in his interview with The Signal.
“The world filled with Stephen A.’s, for those with alligator skin, it would be fine,” he said. “For those, the faint of heart that have a tough time dealing with the truth, it would be nightmarish. Because you’re gonna get something close to the truth.”
(01/23/18 9:49am)
By Connor Smith and Elizabeth Zakaim
Former Editor-in-Chief and News Editor
Whether students were traveling across the country or enjoying a much-needed winter break at home, the College’s unofficial Snapchat account, tcnj.snap, was uncharacteristically quiet. The yearly “TCNJ Takes” photos of students in exotic locations were gone, and they may never return.
The reason: tcnj.snap was retired by its anonymous creator — who graduated last May and passed it on to a current sophomore — due to a lack of moderation that reflected poorly on the College and its students.
The popular account, which shared user submissions from students and alumni to compile a “campus story,” was run by one person, so when he graduated, he left tcnj.snap in the hands of a new moderator, with a mutual understanding that she could have control of the account, as long as she exercised the strict vetting process that tcnj.snap had used in the past.
“When you pass on anything to somebody else, you have to make sure that if they’re running something you built, the mission for that product or service must match up completely with what your original goal was,” said the account’s creator, who spoke to The Signal on the phone on the condition of anonymity. “I don’t believe that goal matched up."
“I figured as long as she was learning, that’s all that matters to me, as long as TCNJ’s reputation and credibility stayed intact,” he added. “As long as the snap kept painting the campus in a positive light. But it didn’t happen that way.”
While several students told The Signal they felt that tcnj.snap’s level of moderation dropped when its original founder graduated, the event that triggered the account’s deletion was a photo posted on Dec. 3 of two black women dressed in red with the accompanying caption, “What’s braken blood.”
The post, according to students such as Yanaja Joyner, a sophomore journalism and professional writing major, insinuated that the women were part of a gang, and mocked gang culture in general.
“A lot of people who have grown up in an urban area have lost someone to gang violence.” Joyner said. “It’s a dangerous thing and people are making a joke out of it — it’s nothing to joke about.”
A student, who posted her Snapchat exchange on Twitter, messaged the account and asked for the post to be taken down for this reason.
The current moderator responded, “You have to look at it a different way. There are over thousands of students on here that will like their opinions to be shared on the snap as well.”
While the post itself would not have met the founder’s standards, the response exacerbated the problem.
“My No. 1 rule was I wanted to make sure it never targeted anyone,” the founder said. “I wanted to make sure it never singled anybody out and I wanted to make sure that each post was constructive. That being said, my policy was that if a single person wrote in and said ‘I have a problem with this,’ I would take it down immediately, no questions asked.”
Don Trahan Jr., the College’s director of diversity and inclusion, and Kerri Thompson, the chief diversity officer, sent out an email on Dec. 5 informing the campus community of the situation, and reminding students to treat others with civility and respect.
The tcnj.snap founder responded by taking back the account and sending out a final message, informing its followers he would be deleting the account in 24 hours.
“The last thing I wanted was for this to really spiral out of control and have this end up on the local news, that TCNJ is racist, or something to that effect,” the founder told The Signal. “I wanted to do everything I could to prevent that headline from ever coming up everywhere, because it’s simply not true. There was one bad apple that sent something in, and it spiraled and it spiraled and the actions of that moderator magnified the problem, and it was just a ticking time bomb. I sincerely believe that if I hadn’t diffused it that night, I think it would have ended up on the local news.”
While the founder was disappointed to see the end of his creation, which began in October 2015 and peaked at 15,000 unique subscribers, according to the founder. He felt the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“When I closed it down, I couldn’t believe how many people, the original people, the people who were using it a couple years ago when I first started, they all messaged me,” he said. “So many people were saying ‘This was absolutely the right thing to do, based on what’s been going on. The snap is not the same.’ But they let me know all these little stories about how the snap helped them and made campus life easier for them.”
From checking in on fellow students or connecting with new friends, tcnj.snap was a window into life at the College that may never be replaced.
“When I ran it, it was used to make the campus feel smaller,” the founder said. “It was used to make everyone feel more connected to each other and to get everyone on the same page. So even if you didn’t talk to somebody that day, or you hadn’t seen them for a week, you had a common understanding of where things were on campus and just the general vibe of the campus and knowledge of events going on.”
While junior marketing major Omobola Solebo supported the removal of the post, she thought that that should have been the final move, had the new moderator not responded how she did.
“If they immediately took down the picture, if they immediately apologized, this wouldn’t have happened,” Solebo said. “When you tell somebody their opinions and feelings are invalid, you push them to the edge and make them seek a bigger way to respond.”
Trahan felt he needed to touch on the larger narrative of diversity at the College after receiving emails on Dec. 4 from students upset about the post.
“The intention of the email was to remind us that even if actions that we take are meant to be harmless, the impact could have detrimental results,” Trahan said. “As we’re making decisions or engaging in conversations we need to be sensitive to how this intention could be perceived.
Trahan also wanted to clarify that neither he nor the administration had a hand in the account’s removal and that it was an action solely under the discretion of tcnj.snap’s creator.
“We encourage freedom of speech and encourage students to use their voices,” he said, “but at the same time we want to model a culture of respect and inclusiveness.”
Trahan invited students who felt disgruntled by the situation to the weekly Critical Conversations meeting, a platform for students to engage in unfiltered dialogue about a broad range of topics they may take issue with.
During the meeting, which was held on Dec. 8, many students acknowledged that it was not the first time they saw a post they deemed racist on tcnj.snap.
Solebo, Joyner and other students at the meeting recalled seeing pictures of fallen loose braids around campus with captions such as “somebody come get your weave,” which they felt targeted the black culture and community on campus.
Joyner never saw any jokes about “blonde extensions,” or other cultural hairstyles posted on tcnj.snap, and that made her feel like the black community was being specifically targeted. Joyner said she noticed a racial bias in the account this past fall semester, specifically when the moderators of the social media platform changed hands.
This isn’t the first time the College’s reputation was damaged by an unofficial account, the tcnj.snap founder said. Early in its run, a competitor, tcnj_snap, cropped up, which posted images and videos that included nudity and drug use.
“From my perspective, (tcnj_snap) was doing the opposite of everything I would have done,” the tcnj.snap founder said. “They were posting nudes and crazy shit. That’s why they failed. The fact that they failed really helped me to understand that the only way for me to make this meaningful is to run it as if I was part of the administration. My rule was: if the president of the College were to watch this and didn’t approve, don’t post it.”
A new account, Tcnj-snap, recently popped up to fill the void left by tcnj.snap, though it lacks the reach of the old account, especially in alumni circles. While not aware of the new account at the time, the tcnj.snap founder told The Signal he would be fine with another account stepping up to replace his creation, but assured The Signal that this is the end of his involvement in any social media channels representing the College.
“I have no doubt there will be another tcnj.snap or a competitor or an equivalent, but I want to clarify that my involvement with any social media involving TCNJ ends today,” he said. “It won’t be me. I won’t be involved. I won’t be talking with the person. I’m excited to see where TCNJ students take it, but I won’t be able to swoop in and save the day again. I hope whoever decides to take a stab at it has a steady hand.”
(12/07/17 8:36am)
By Connor Smith
Editor-in-Chief
R. Barbara Gitenstein was a seemingly unremarkable music major at Duke University in the late 1960s. She loved to sing, and had a nice voice, but not a great voice, in her own words.
Like many students at the College, Gitenstein couldn't decide on a major. She began studying biology but didn't feel a deep connection to the subject.
"I must admit that the vast majority of intellectual, curious students change their majors, and an institution should make it such that you could graduate in four years," Gitenstein told The Signal. "I think we do that as well as we can."
Since she had a strong passion for classical music and opera, Gitenstein became a music major and dedicated her time to singing. Although the drive was there, the talent simply wasn't.
"I just wasn't that good a singer, and that was a very hard thing to accept," Gitenstein said. Her singing career died before it began, but this failure led to her lifelong passion and eventually a near 20-year tenure as one of the College's most accomplished presidents.
Under Gitenstein, the College has seen many successes, such as its four-year graduation rate, which increased from 58 percent in 1999 to 76 percent in 2016, favorable rankings, which includes the No. 24 spot in MONEY Magazine's national “Best Colleges for Your Money” list, and increased enrollment in spite of downward regional trends.
Gitenstein led the College through a complete academic transformation and pioneered sexual assault prevention and awareness initiatives years before these practices became a national trend. She’s helped shatter fundraising goals and oversaw several construction projects on campus.
Despite all of this, Gitenstein is more than happy to talk about her many failures and disappointments.
"I think we suffer from our success, just like the students suffer from their success," Gitenstein said. "The students we attract at TCNJ are highly accomplished, so they got here by a lot of accomplishments. They are not accustomed to facing disappointments or failures. Sometimes, I think that causes them more angst. I think it's up to us as educators and as support services and as friends to help one another understand that failure is part of life. Disappointment is part of life. It's not about how it happens to you, it's about how you use it going forward. I don't think TCNJ is highly distinctive in that regard, except for the fact that we have very talented students."
When Gitenstein swapped her major from music to English, she put this philosophy into practice.
"In regard to music, that was a real disappointment to me," she said. "I'm serious, that was a real loss for me. But then I came to understand over time that there was so much that I had learned from that experience that helped make me be a really good president and a really good communicator."
While she didn't know it at the time, her musical training played an instrumental role in her success as president.
"I maintain that being a president has a lot to do with performance, so that's really how I integrate that passion for performance," she said. "In fact, people who know my voice will tell you that I sound different when I’m giving a speech than when I’m talking, because I’m using all those things that I learn as a singer. I don't do it consciously."
Gitenstein grew up in Florala, Alabama, the daughter of a New York City transplant, Seymour Gitenstein. Seymour Gitenstein was a classical pianist who left the city when his father's business went bankrupt. At 17 years old, he left for Alabama alone to scout out land for a shirt factory.
"That's courage," President Gitenstein said. "Then, he's scouting out places for a factory. He had this little room that he rented with a piano! … But at any rate, he was all by himself. And then he really committed to that community and he was there from when he was 17 to when he died at age 95."
Gitenstein learned a lot about leadership from both her father and from her experiences attending an all-female boarding school near Washington D.C.
"Everything that I know about business I learned from Dad, but I had no idea that I’d learned anything about business from him until I became a president," she said. "I knew I learned a lot from him about other things, personal development and values and whatnot. At one point, he had an employee base of about 800, I think was the top number. He was the largest employer in that county and he knew how to have a personal relationship with individuals. It wasn’t like, ‘I'm gonna go out and speak to three people today and put it on my checklist.’
"He actually liked people, and they knew that he liked them, and he could communicate to them that he really cared about what was happening in their families. That makes a difference. I think people felt that."
At boarding school, Gitenstein was prepared for leadership roles at a time when the country lacked female administrators.
"There were a lot of expectations about how women were supposed to engage, and so when I decided to go to graduate school, and also even before, as I look back, I realize I developed a lot of really wonderful mentors and all of them were men, except for the women back in the high school, and my grandmother," she said. "I had to learn that that was okay, because there weren't mentors out there"
One of Gitenstein’s vivid memories from graduate school was meeting with her adviser, a southern gentleman, while she was dressed like "a typical graduate student" on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.
"He tipped his hat, because he saw a lady," Gitenstein said. "I was in flip flops and jeans and it was just sort of one of those wonderful moments of, ‘Oh my god, we're very different.'"
This difference in perspective can be positive for growth, according to Gitenstein, though she is "thrilled to see the kind of change and leadership now so that there are more women and there are more individuals from underrepresented groups in leadership roles."
The College was far from Gitenstein's first application for an administrative position. Her name was out in a lot of searches, and she got turned down a number of times throughout the years.
Gitenstein tried to understand why she'd been continually passed over. Eventually, a search consultant told her the truth: She wasn't listening to questions.
"I had in my head things I wanted to say, and I just talked," Gitenstein said. "It was a really good lesson to learn, whether you're talking about doing an interview or whether you're talking about just being in life."
Constantly learning and growing, Gitenstein went from assistant provost at the State University of New York-Oswego to provost at Drake University. The then provost at SUNY-Oswego, Don Mathew, was sure Gitenstein had something special.
"Don Mathew is the first person who ever said to me, ‘You're gonna be a president,’ and I said, ‘Are you out of your mind?' I mean, I thought he was nuts."
While at Drake, the former president of SUNY-Oswego referred Gitenstein to the College's presidential search committee, and she fell in love with her future home.
"When I first came to the College, it was clear to me that the College was an extraordinary place," Gitenstein said. "I mean, I really wanted this job badly, and I was thrilled when it was offered to me. But there was work to do."
At the time, Gitenstein felt the academic standards were not up to par with her perception of the students and faculty, but it took time to devise a plan.
"When you first come in, it's like drinking water out of a fire hydrant, I have to tell you," she said. "First of all, you have no idea where the next thing is coming from. I listened to a lot of people and I had some ideas before. I'm not sure that a person coming in should have a plan in place. I did not."
The College's academic transformation plan was devised by former provost Stephen Briggs, but Gitenstein helped get students and faculty on board with longer, more academically intensive classes and an emphasis on liberal learning coursework by incorporating them in the shared governance process.
"The way you can tell it's successful is what has happened to the students and the remarkable transformations in the kind of outcomes we're seeing," Gitenstein said. "We’re seeing more and more students go to graduate school. We’re seeing more and more students do extremely well in their first jobs and move up in the leadership. … They've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Now, I know they’re smart, but I have to believe that something that has happened here has helped them as leaders and as thinkers."
Gitenstein has faced many challenges during her tenure at the College. Her first year, the College was under investigation for potentially underreporting sexual assaults. While the issue was resolved as a bookkeeping error, Gitenstein was not satisfied with the reported numbers of one sexual assault in a year.
"We've just got too many people here, that's just not possible," she said. "I'm not wanting it to be higher, but I know it's higher. So what is it that is happening on the campus that is preventing students — usually students, they're not all students but the vast majority are students — from coming forward and saying, ‘This is what happened to me and I want to hold the perpetrator accountable and/or I need some help'?"
Gitenstein helped establish a sexual assault task force and the Office of Anti-Violence Initiatives in 2004.
"And then you look at when it really started hitting the news, about four years ago or five years ago, we thought, 'OK, we've already done most of these things that other colleges are doing now.' But I still am disappointed at the numbers of students who feel comfortable coming forward," she said.
Gitenstein’s biggest challenge came in 2006 when then Gov. Jon Corzine proposed a $12.1 million cut to the College’s funding.
“I don't think there’s been (a cut) that has compared to that since then, percentage-wise,” Gitenstein said. “I was just devastated. How was I possibly going to run the enterprise?”
Although the cuts were monumental, within the next week, the disappearance and death of College freshman John Fiocco Jr. put things in perspective for Gitenstein.
“I just realized that (the budget) was something that could be handled, that you just basically decide on priorities,” Gitenstein said. “This is how much money you have, this is all the money you're going to have, so if that's all the money you're going to have, what can you do and what can’t you do? And just quit worrying about it.”
Meanwhile, the Fiocco disappearance devastated the campus.
“Students were terrified, parents were terrified, faculty were terrified,” Gitenstein said. “We didn’t know what was happening. I learned how important it was to communicate and communicate honestly, to make sure that if you had information, you shared it, and that people trusted that if you were not telling them something, you either didn’t know it or there was a legal reason why you weren't saying it. It wasn’t that you were just trying to protect the image.”
Gitenstein, who never brought on an outside public relations firm, worked closely with the then head media relations officer, Matt Golden, to craft messages and communicate with the campus community.
“People heard from me,” she said. “I think that was a really good lesson. It stood me in good stead, as you look at other kinds of difficult times that we dealt with, like last year when we were talking about the Loser/Trenton Hall issue, or whether we were talking about the clinic. Just be forthright and tell people the information that you have, let people know as much as you can about the next steps you’re gonna take.”
Through hard times and harder lessons, Gitenstein continues to lead by example in her final year. When she retires this June, she’ll finally join her husband, Donald B. Hart, in their life after the College.
“He's been retired for a while, so he's been sort of anxious for this over the past couple of years,” Gitenstein said. “He's ready. His main line is — we like to travel a lot, and we've been traveling in the summertime because that's basically the only time I can travel, and he hates the summer. Just hates the heat, so he says, ‘Thank goodness, now we can go in the fall! We don't have to worry about leaving the College!’”
As for her legacy, Gitenstein, as always, focused less on herself and more on the community of students, faculty and alumni that surrounds her.
“I hope that the legacy is about this sense of community and this sense of shared purpose, which is a commitment to excellence but a commitment to making a difference in the world,” she said. “That an individual can make a difference in the world. We could only do that if we do it together, and if we're dismissive or condescending to one another, it's just not going to work.
“I think I've said this to you before, but I worry very much about the rhetoric about conversation in the public right now, whether you're talking politically or just generally. How people talk to one another. I think people minimize that, but if someone is dismissive of you, either by name-calling or by acting as if they're better than you for whatever reason, how are you possibly going to partner with them? Why would you partner with them? Why would you even talk to them? I worry about that.”
Gitenstein is thankful for Hart, as well as her children, Pauline and Samuel, who all supported her through years of the administrative grind.
“If you want to do something like this, choose your partner first and then worry about everything else,” Gitenstein said. “There is no way I could have done this without Dr. Hart, Don, no way. He's been there 125 percent of the time, you know. And then I have great children. But they just put up with the stress of the situation. He's in academics, so he's a great adviser too.”
In seven months, Gitenstein’s nearly 20-year presidency will give way to life in the city, where she can finally go to daytime operas and work on some writing.
(12/07/17 7:23am)
By Connor Smith and Brielle Bryan
Editor-in-Chief and Opinions Editor
A forum to discuss a bill that could help offset the decline of New Jersey’s local news media will take place in Education Building Room 212 on Thursday, Dec. 7.
The forum, coordinated by the Free Press Action Fund, will discuss legislation that was introduced by leaders of the state assembly and senate earlier in the year to invest as much as $100 million over five years to support local news and information projects. The money would come from the $332 million the state earned from the sale of two public-broadcasting licenses for WNJN and WNJT, according to a press release from the Free Press Action Fund.
The legislation would establish the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium to administer funds and provide grants for community-information projects, according to the release.
Representatives from New Jersey colleges and universities, as well as stakeholders from community groups and media outlets, would act as the board members of the consortium, which would serve as a non-profit, according to the release.
“Valuable legacy operations have endured major cutbacks, and some are on the verge of collapse,” the Free Press Action Fund said in a statement. “It’s also a moment when some promising local experiments might crash or soar. In either context, investments from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium … could be the difference between success and failure.”
The North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record, the Herald News and other weekly New Jersey newspapers, announced significant layoffs and sent notices to 141 employees last January, according to an NJ.com report.
The Star-Ledger and the Times of Trenton, both published by Advance Publications, have also undergone significant layoffs since 2007, according to a New York Times report from this past January.
While major cuts have been a national trend in media, New Jersey has suffered especially due to the media’s role in uncovering corruption and keeping powerful institutions accountable, according The New York Times report.
“If Bridgegate happened today, would someone have covered it?” said Richard A. Lee, an associate professor at St. Bonaventure University, according to The New York Times. “Because it was really a local reporter doing old-fashioned investigative reporting.”
The forum will discuss the organizer’s efforts to get the bill passed, as well as how New Jersey residents can get involved. Registration will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by the forum from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
(10/17/17 3:00pm)
By Connor Smith
Editor-in-Chief
In nearly two decades as the College’s president, R. Barbara Gitenstein’s many accomplishments have shaped the College’s growth in a profound way.
From transforming the College into an academic leader amongst public schools by increasing the four-year graduation rate from 58 percent to 75 percent, to leading major campus fundraising and building projects, Gitenstein has built a legacy that would be easy to coast on in her final year.
But the College’s first female president is not done yet.
The Signal sat down with Gitenstein on Wednesday, October 11, in Green Hall, where she discussed her final initiatives that will close the latest chapter in the College’s 162-year history. She also addressed several student, faculty and alumni concerns.
The major initiatives
Gitenstein outlined three major initiatives for her final months as president: to ensure the College makes significant progress on the action plan that came out of The Advisory Commission on Social Justice: Race and Educational Attainment, to make sure the College meets its 18.19.20 fundraising initiative of over $7 million this upcoming year and to preserve the College’s special status.
Last fall, students discovered the then-namesake of the College’s admissions building, Paul Loser, was a prominent figure in enforcing segregation in Trenton public schools while serving as superintendent. This sparked several critical conversations about the College’s relationship with Trenton, New Jersey.
Gitenstein responded by appointing The Advisory Commission on Social Justice: Race and Educational Attainment, which released a detailed report that was approved by Gitenstein on Sept. 5. This report included many goals to improve the College’s relationship with Trenton, starting with changing the admissions building’s name from Loser Hall to Trenton Hall. But the issue is much larger than that, according to Gitenstein.
“If you look at the commission’s goal, it was to deal with something much larger than just a name, but to deal with the relationship with Trenton,” Gitenstein said. “I hope to see some progress on that.”
Some alumni voiced concerns on The Signal’s website and social media pages that the name change was a part of a larger trend of altering historical monuments. Gitenstein challenged that notion.
“If you look, as I’ve presented in my letter to the board, the issue with regard to changing the name had to do with the history of an individual who was a public employee who broke the law,” Gitenstein said.
As for fundraising, the College has consistently outpaced estimates, which Gitenstein is excited to continue through the 18.19.20 initiative.
“I really love fundraising,” Gitenstein said. “I get to talk about what the students and faculty do. I’m not talking about what I’m doing, I’m talking about what you guys are doing. The faculty are doing. And there’s just a lot of good news. People don’t gift to me, they gift to you.”
The final major initiative, to preserve the College’s special status, deals with the College’s niche as institution meant to provide the highest quality education possible for a public college, a concept which came from former Gov. Thomas Kean.
“What we need to do is to provide for the students with that kind of capacity,” Gitenstein said. “The kinds of experiences that they might have at a private institution. Close relationships with faculty, the undergraduate research, all those signature experiences you hear us talking about which at first wasn’t a part of Thomas Kean’s concept, but to me, that means that we should get treated differently.”
Gitenstein pointed to the College’s graduation rate, which is the fifth highest amongst public colleges, and its exceptional faculty and student body.
“I think you should be rewarded for that,” Gitenstein said. “I don’t mean ‘us’ as in the College, I mean the community, so that we can do more.”
Aside from these issues, Gitenstein believes advocacy for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which she supported in a letter to New Jersey Chamber of Commerce as an executive committee member, the expansion of Title IX around the nation and the acknowledgement that the violence that is “observed in the black community by officials is just disproportionate to what we experience, those of us who are white,” are long-term issues she will “certainly give a lot of attention to.”
Mental health
After outrage sparked by the scheduled closure of TCNJ Clinic, the College reevaluated its plan and requested an external report to determine the clinic’s fate.
“I absolutely understood the feelings I heard in conversations I had with multiple students having to do with the clinic closure,” Gitenstein said. “What I think was lost in that conversation was the recognition that the College had in fact been investing more and more resources over the last four or five years in this very thing that people were so concerned about.”
While the final TCNJ Clinic decision, based on the external report, has yet to be made by Jacqueline Taylor, the College’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Gitenstein discussed several other plans to address mental health concerns on campus.
“(There are) new counselors who have been hired,” Gitenstein said. “They’re going to be in Forcina (Hall).”
These counselors will provide long-term care, in contrast to Counseling and Psychological Services, which focuses on short-term care. CAPS will receive additional resources, including a counselor with special expertise dealing with individuals from underrepresented populations, according to Gitenstein.
“(This is) completely separate from the Urgent Care, which we are still working on,” Gitenstein said. “That has not moved as quickly as we had hoped.”
When asked if she was disappointed by the lengthy process, Gitenstein responded, “Yes.”
“We’ve added lots of partnerships because of the question people were asking about long-term counseling, because we know we simply cannot staff an office for long-term care on campus,” Gitenstein said. “We can’t do it. We have too many students. These individuals who need long-term care do need long-term care — there’s no question about that. But it would basically eat up not just the Student Affairs budget, but the entire College’s budget.”
Gitenstein discussed studies conducted for the College that marked a downward trend in “emotional resilience.”
“What I worry about is in the culture today, in the kind of students that we’re attracting, you’re sort of not allowed to fail,” she said. “Yeah you are! You’re supposed to!”
Gitenstein said she wished she could give a presentation on her many failures that helped make her into the leader we know today.
“Oh my goodness, have I had a lot of failures,” she said. “And I’m proud of every one of them.”
Moving forward
Gitenstein’s replacement, the College’s 16th president, will be picked by an 18-member committee established by the board of trustees. Gitenstein looks forward to the future, but feels the process has been a bit strange.
“My husband has been retired for about 10 years and so he’s really chomping at the bit,” Gitenstein said. “I knew that, but it’s just been a little strange because this whole semester I’ve been going through like, ‘this is the last time I’ll welcome the freshmen. This is the last time … (etc.)’ it’s sort of weird. Of course, I’m not really involved in the search. I know who’s on the committee — it’s a great committee. The chair (alumna Susanne Svizeny) is fantastic. She was on the committee that hired me and the search consultant they hired (Julie Tea, a partner at Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates) is someone who knows us very well, and knows us recently. But it’s a little strange. This has been my life for 19 years.”
Gitenstein believes the College will gain more national recognition in the next 10 years.
“During my tenure here, 66 percent of the individuals who are faculty members here were hired,” she said. “So we’ve got this incredible group of new faculty members who are very excited about where the institution is going and that’s why students come to a college. They come because of the academic programs. They come because of the faculty, so we’ve got this young group of faculty and of course, those who will succeed them. I have no doubts that your diploma will be worth more when you graduate, and worth even more in 10 years.”
Gitenstein pointed to downward trends in high school populations, which contrasts the College’s growth in incoming freshmen.
“It’s particularly going down in the northeast, so we should have had a smaller class,” she said. “But we had not only a larger class, but we had a larger than what we expected class. So what it suggests to me is that the market out there — allow me to use that term — it’s saying that there’s something special happening at The College of New Jersey.”
Gitenstein, who sang when she was younger, looks forward to retirement in New York City, where she can finally make her way to an opera in the middle of the week.
“That would be very nice,” she said. “I’ll probably do some writing.”
That said, Gitenstein said she’ll miss the College “very much.”
“I’ll miss the people,” she said. “I won’t miss the anxiety of the job and worrying about my students all the time. I will miss being around students and being around faculty and being around my colleagues. But it’s important, I think, for a former president to sort of give it up and get out of the way for the next person.”
(09/26/17 9:39pm)
By Connor Smith
Editor-in-Chief
Hoping to hear a larger variety of voices, Student Government, the Office of Student Involvement and the Inter Greek Council hosted an open forum on Tuesday, Sept. 19, in Brower Student Center room 101 to discuss potential changes to the annual Homecoming Spirit Week competition.
But flyers, Facebook posts and several mass emails weren’t enough — just under 20 students showed up, and only three said they weren’t affiliated with a Greek organization.
The students that did voice their opinions emphasized several concerns about possible changes from a group-based model to a class-based model, especially the timeframe for rolling out a new system before this October. SG agreed with their sentiment, as it decided on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to focus on improving Homecoming’s current system rather than introduce an experimental model.
With the current system, any group of students can form a team and compete in Spirit Week events. At the end of the week, a team wins the title of Spirit Week Champion and celebrates its victory at the annual Homecoming tailgate. Fraternities and sororities make up the majority of the teams, raising concerns that non-Greek organizations may feel alienated from the festivities.
Dave Conner, the director of Student Involvement, began the forum by breaking down the history and purpose of Spirit Week, which was started 29 years ago by former Director of Student Activities Tim Asher to build anticipation ahead of Homecoming.
Student Involvement and the Inter Greek Council hosted an open forum to discuss potential changes to the Homecoming Spirit Week competition (envato elements).
Conner believes Spirit Week is failing in its current state, as it struggles to get non-Greek life participants involved.
“Few people participate, and even fewer people come out to watch or appreciate,” Conner said. “We’ve created a system where at the end of the week, we have students who are probably more adversarial, as a result of losing competitions throughout the week or by the way that other groups won, than we would be if we didn’t have the week at all.”
After Conner’s opening statement, he opened the floor to questions. Several Greek life representatives believed the current model can be improved, but that a class-based model might alienate the event’s most active participants without attracting anyone new.
A representative from Phi Mu Alpha began by stating his organization believed most of them, “felt more connected to even small groups of friends than the rest of the class.” His solution was allowing anyone to make a team, which Conner explained was already allowed within the current system.
Another student asked how the class councils felt on the matter.
“The class councils have mixed emotions about it,” said Christopher Blakeley, executive president of SG and a junior civil engineering major. “There was no one in the room that said, ‘No, this is a horrible idea.’ That’s why we’ve tried to reach out to as many other constituents as possible because the class councils didn’t necessarily agree that they would fully take it on. But if the change did happen, there was no one that would be completely mad or think that it wouldn’t be feasible.”
At one point, Conner revealed that other models, such as dividing teams up by freshman floors, were also on the table, which seemed to draw the most positive response of the night.
“The class-based one is the one we’ve been looking at the most because it’s a high school model,” Blakeley said. “If freshman are coming in, it’s a model that they are used to, so it would support getting more freshmen involved in the week.”
Conner added that the class council model was brought forward because it has the potential to enhance the Senior Send-Off program.
“If we were able to come up with financial incentives for the winning team, which would be a class, that might help bolster the (Senior Send-Off) program that in years past has been trying to come up with a sustainable source of funding to keep the subsidies down for seniors that want to participate,” Conner said.
This Homecoming will be a major test for organizations that wish to keep Spirit Week’s current model. If SG determines this year was not an improvement, major changes are likely to come, according to Blakely.
“As we move forward, things are gonna change,” Blakeley said. “We’re going to see how this year goes again, but if nothing changes, we’re going to have to take a bigger step next year because we can’t continue down this path.”
(09/19/17 7:35am)
By Connor Smith
Editor-in-Chief
Normally 11 saves and a second-half shutout are both signs of a rout for the No. 4 ranked Lions. But the Messiah College Falcons aren’t a normal opponent. Despite one of the strongest defensive efforts of the season, the Lions fell 2-1 to the No. 1 Messiah Falcons on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Lions Stadium, which dropped their record to 3-1.
This could’ve been a statement win for the Lions, matched up with the defending national champions and current National Field Hockey Coaches Association ranked leaders. But the Falcons’ unforgiving attack — which included 17 total shots, and 13 on goal — chipped the Lions down early and often.
“We like to look at every game with equal importance but I think we’re all really hyped up for this game in particular,” said senior goalkeeper Christina Fabiano two days before the game. “Given the season they had last year, we’re really excited to show that we can compete with the best.”
The Falcons opened up the game with a few strong possessions. After several turnovers, the Falcons scored at the 12:27 mark on a loose ball shot from senior forward Taylor Holt.
The Lions answered back with a few promising possessions, but they couldn’t convert. With just under 11 minutes left in the half, a turnover in front of the goal netted junior forward Kezia Loht a score of her own and extended the Falcons lead to 2-0.
After the score, Lions coach Sharon Pfluger called a timeout. Pfluger, who leads all NCAA Division III field hockey coaches in active wins and winning percentage, didn’t want Messiah to run away with the momentum, and stopped the clock for a quick pep talk.
“Coach has been in this position time and time again, so she’s as prepared as a coach can possibly be,” Fabiano said. “It’s a great experience playing for someone who knows the magnitude of the game, but also wants us to play relaxed and have fun.”
Whatever Pfluger said must’ve worked, because the Lions fought right back and immediately kept each play inside Falcons territory. Less than three minutes after the timeout, sophomore forward/midfielder Kayla Peterson scored on a penalty corner to give the Lions some life and cut the deficit to one score.
With a renewed sense of energy, the Lions continued to push the Falcons back. They took a shot and attempted a penalty corner, before the clocked ticked down. At the end of the period, the Lions got another penalty corner attempt, which led into another penalty corner. Unfortunately for the Lions, neither netted a score and the half ended with the Falcons on top, 2-1.
The Lions defense was a major force in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Christina Fabiano dipped and dove her way to eight saves in the second half alone, for a career-high of 10 total saves in the game.
The offense couldn’t do much against the equally potent Falcons defense, which broke up several scoring opportunities and kept the majority of possession time in favor of the Falcons. The Lions squandered the few opportunities they had. They sent a few shots too wide late in the game, and were forced off the ball in a crucial breakaway opportunity.
Once again, the Lions found themselves in a penalty corner situation with seconds remaining. The Lions passed the ball around, but their shot was blocked and the Falcons ran out the clock and secured the win.
Players and coaches did not stick around for post-game interviews. After an emotional meeting at midfield, the Lions packed up, marched straight out the away entrance and headed home to reflect on the heartbreaking loss.
Despite the loss, the Lions gave Messiah one of its closest matchups in a year. The offense will have 12 more regular season matchups to grind for a possible appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
With Messiah out of the picture for now, the Lions will focus on winning another New Jersey Athletic Conference title. While they’re the favorites in the NJAC, the Lions must still play out each
game in the coming weeks.
The field hockey team returns to Lions Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, against Gwynedd Mercy University. Then on Saturday, Sept. 23, team will play Salisbury University at Lions Stadium at 6 p.m.
By shutting Messiah out in the second half, the Lions proved they can roll with the best team in the nation. They know they were a few missed shots and a turnover or two away from a monumental upset. Even with a loss, what the Lions learned against Messiah should be critical to their success this upcoming fall.
(05/24/17 10:42pm)
By Connor Smith
Editor-in-Chief
The board of trustees voted to rename Paul Loser Hall, the College's admissions building, to Trenton Hall, after approving recommendations from College President R. Barbara Gitenstein and the Advisory Commission on Social Justice: Race and Educational Attainment.
“The name Trenton Hall embraces the college’s history, under its six different names, as an institution born in the city of Trenton,” Gitenstein said in a statement. “We have a longstanding history with the city and this name will remind us and everyone who visits campus that TCNJ’s roots run through our state capital.”
The change will begin immediately, and physical signs will be updated within the next week or so, according to the College's spokesman Dave Muha.
The push to rename Loser Hall began last year when students at the College discovered the building's namesake, Paul Loser, advocated for segregation in Trenton's public schools. While Loser's views do not align with the College's modern-day values, then College President Roscoe West also advocated against segregation as a member of the Trenton Committee on Unity, Gitenstein noted.
After some debate around campus, Gitenstein appointed the Advisory Commission on Social Justice: Race and Educational Attainment to hold open fora with students, faculty and members of the community to discuss the College's relationship with nearby Trenton, New Jersey.
With Loser Hall renamed, the commission will proceed with more recommendations for the president in the next month, as they "identify ways in which the institution can have a positive impact on race relations and social justice moving forward," according to Muha.
Loser Hall was originally named in response to a $1 million gift in 1987 from Tom Loser and his wife Carol. While the gift was never legally tied to the admissions building's name, Muha told the Signal, "The college has been in touch with Carol Loser throughout this process and she has graciously declined to ask that the gift be returned."
Although Gitenstein believes this was the appropriate move for the College, she did make it clear to emphasize the Loser family's contributions to the College's growth.
"Pete Loser was instrumental in the creation of the TCNJ Foundation," Gitenstein said. "And the late Tom Loser and his wife Carol Kuser Loser exemplify extraordinary generosity of spirit. The family has been a strong supporter of the College’s quest for excellence.”
(04/25/17 4:23am)
By Connor Smith
Managing Editor
Beyond a red carpet entrance and into a dimly lit Mayo Concert Hall, the Campus MovieFest finale on Wednesday, April 19, was a night of careful celebration and uncertainty.
CMF provided computers, software, cameras and sound equipment for students to write, shoot and edit their own 5-minute films in one week. Out of 46 films, 16 were screened, and only four were granted Jury Awards to advance to the national level. The prizes ranged from a personal drone with a built-in camera to a trip to the national competition at the 2017 TERMINUS conference and festival. The hosts also got the audience involved with raffles and giveaways.
[slideshow_deploy id='52514']
The four Jury Awards went to two teams: The Aperture Legacy for “Obsidian” and “Arke” and Burnt Toast Productions for “Just The Tip” and “Recollection.” Four Silver Tripods were also awarded for sound design, best special effects, best performance and production design. Unlike Jury Awards, Silver Tripod Awards are divvied out by on-site CMF representatives and it’s not guaranteed a school will earn any.
Anyone could enter the competition, which included groups from the Student Film Union, Lions Television and the Department of Arts and Communications.
Kevin Walsh Jr., a sophomore communication studies major, sat front and center with his friends and Burnt Toast Productions teammates. This was his second CMF finale, and he and his team, mostly members of Lions Television, were just hoping a few of their four total entries would be screened.
Walsh and company didn’t have to wait very long: The first film screened was the group’s comedy “Living the American Meme: The Story of Jebediah Dartmouth,” which was written and directed by sophomore communication studies major Tyler Law.
Law’s mockumentary followed a farmer who tries to support his wife and son by growing plants that sprout memes, which were printed out and attached to stems. When compared to its often-serious competition, the lighthearted nature of “Living the American Meme” drew some of the loudest laughs of the night.
As the night progressed, anxiousness gave way to a mix of celebration and desperation, as the odds against the majority of entries began to unravel. For Ryan Laux and Chris Lundy, both senior interactive multimedia majors and former DreamWorks Animation interns, the question was never “if” their two films would be screened, but “when?”
Laux and Lundy are CMF veterans, with multiple best special effects awards and top 5 national placings when working with IMM alumni Josh Lewkowicz ( ’15) and Andrew Kuserk ( ’15) as part of The Aperture Process production team.
“Last year, after Josh and Andrew graduated, Chris and I were left to build our own crew and continue the legacy that our former teammates had left,” Laux told The Signal. “This certainly wasn’t easy, but we found some great students that helped us to produce ‘Lucidity’ in 2016, which went on to win special effects nationally, as well.”
Lundy’s and Laux’s new team, The Aperture Legacy, witnessed their films’ impact first hand when “Obsidian” premiered on Wednesday night. The film, about a deep-space mission gone wrong, mixed a powerful message and astonishing visuals. When the credits hit, there was silence — the audience sat in awe of what they had just witnessed.
“We had so much fun experimenting with new techniques that we never tried before,” Laux said. “For the ‘take off’ scene, there was no VFX involved at all — it was literally just a black sheet, plastic photo frame cover, projector and a fog machine all set up in our basement.”
Both Lundy and Laux credit CMF for much of their growth as filmmakers.
“In our first year at CMF, I had never held a DSLR nor any kind of advanced video/audio equipment. I just wanted to make a film,” Lundy told The Signal. “Through CMF, Ryan Laux and I met friends and now TCNJ alumni that would grow to be our mentors (Josh Lewkowicz and Andrew Kuserk) and happily collaborate and share in the filmmaking process. By learning from others and gaining experience anyway you can, great things will happen.”
“As a senior IMM student, I now have an impressive portfolio of award-winning films and have come to be known for filmmaking on my college campus and beyond,” he added.
Another standout was “Luna,” which was written, directed, acted and edited by senior communication studies major Gracemarie Loretta, and featured Loretta’s character fighting her way through would-be attackers in a late-night parking garage. The film earned a Silver Tripod award for its sound production.
Loretta also starred in The Aperture Legacy’s second film, “Arke,” which energized the crowd in its four-minute runtime, and also brought home a Silver Tripod for best special effects. In contrast to “Obsidian’s” experimental practical effects, “Arke” utilized heavy VFX to tell its story. In the piece, Loretta’s character uses advanced technology to relive her last memory from before her brother disappears. The memory was filmed by the ocean in Beach Haven, N.J., and the temperature dropped to 40 degrees by the time the shoot wrapped, according to Lundy.
“When it comes to CMF, really anything goes to get the production done,” Laux said. “For the beach scene in ‘Arke,’ we decided about 12 hours before we went to shoot that we wanted to go at all. I actually joked about it, but then everyone was like ‘Hey, why not?’ I totally think the trip was worth it.”
Walsh and his teammates, meanwhile, would witness all four films screened in the top 16. To contrast its mockumentary was “Recollection,” which included two homosexual subjects being tortured in gay conversion therapy.
“We knew we wanted to do a drama, of sorts, and then some comedies,” said Ellie Schuckman, a junior communication studies major. “I'm not great at writing comedies, so I was like 'Let's take a stab at the drama!'
The initial script faced several criticisms from a member of the LGBTQ+ community, whose feedback the team sought.
“It kind've blindsided us when that happened, and we really took a step back and ultimately came together as a team to rewrite certain parts of it,” she said.
At one point, it’s revealed Vice President Mike Pence was involved in the experiments, which Schuckman believes helps viewers realize the film is grounded in reality.
“This is what our government believes in, in a sense, and this is our way to take a stance against that,” she said. “It wasn't even about the line, it was about the story we were telling.”
The final film to earn a Jury award, “Just The Tip,” was a tremendous underdog. The piece was an homage to alumnus Dylan Short (’16), who ate an entire pizza for his 2016 CMF entry. In similar fashion, Law begins eating a whole pizza when several increasingly absurd encounters brings him full circle.
“We were probably saying there was a 50/50 chance that 'Just the Tip' could even get screened,” said Peter Weiland, a junior communication studies major. “When we saw it screened, we were going nuts. We were like ‘That's amazing!’”
With all the winners on stage to accept their awards, Walsh couldn’t believe the company his films were keeping, side by side with Laux and Lundy.
"It's a position I'd never imagined I would be in,” Walsh said. “They are so great. I've watched their stuff last year, and even before I came to TCNJ, just looking at the Campus MovieFest channel, and it's always so beautiful. Their stories are so creative. When you have a perfect story and you just know everything about VFX and production design? That's them.”
For Lundy, CMF will always be a formative experience for both he and Laux.
“CMF has been an intrinsic force in providing a motivation for refining our craft and building our portfolios,” Lundy said. “In drawing creativity from a lack of time and resources during the one-week film festival, we’ve learned not only how to jumpstart a production but the value of connections and collaborations in and outside of our production team at The College of New Jersey.”
While both he and Laux are set to graduate this May, Lundy is confident this won’t be the end of their award-winning partnership.
“We plan on staying very well connected with each other as well as our past and present teammates after graduation,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, Campus MovieFest was only the beginning of our collaboration and aspirations as content creators.”
(02/28/17 5:42pm)
By Connor Smith
Managing Editor
Late in the game, the Lions needed a play. The team was down big against the Columbia College Cougars, and the longer it dragged out, the more desperate the Lions became. After a major Lions misplay, the Cougars began their final push for game one.
Three of five Lions remained.
The first game in a best-of-three series was on the line, and sophomore history major Jackson Kim sought one final chance to strike. When the Cougars turned their attention to a risky objective, Kim launched himself over a wall and into the Cougars clutches.
Even with help from junior business major Bobby St Pierre and senior finance major Chris Roberts, Kim’s gambit bordered on suicide.
That’s when St Pierre and Kim neutralized two opponents, and Roberts fired hard-hitting shots at long range. In one chaotic skirmish, the Lions overcame the Cougars and rode their momentum into a 2-0 sweep of the series. This might have been Lions athletics’ biggest win of the year — defeating an opponent with better coaching, infrastructure and even scholarship support.
The only problem? This wasn’t a varsity sport at all — it was a game of “League of Legends.”
While several of the College’s sports teams have seen recent success, the Competitive Gaming Club’s “League” team followed up its win against the Cougars with a 2-0 sweep against California Polytechnic State University. The Lions gamers finished undefeated in Collegiate Starleague regular series play, as they prepare for an 128-team playoff bracket that begins on March 18.
“I'm actually very surprised that we have the talent pool at TCNJ to compete with such talented players,” Roberts told The Signal. “Statistically, everyone on the first team is at the top 1 percent of the ‘League of Legends’ population. So, in a school of 7,000-8,000 students, five people who are in the top 1 percent is pretty impressive.”
“League” is the biggest of several “esports” — or competitive video games — that are on the rise to mainstream popularity. Major sports teams like the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Bruins have recently acquired successful esports brands, while broadcasters like Turner Sports, ESPN and the Big Ten Network, which is owned by the NCAA conference of the same name, are working hard to secure broadcasting rights for the biggest titles.
While the Big Ten has the largest collegiate esports prize pool, the College’s team still competes with large universities, which in some cases — like the Cougars — recruit talented players with significant scholarships and professional practice facilities and equipment.
“League” pits teams of five against each other, as players control an individual character to fight, kill and topple objectives, like towers and inhibitors, in order to push down one or more of the three main lanes and destroy the opponent’s main structure, the Nexus.
The static lineup, which recruits via the CGC’s Facebook group, includes Kim in the top lane of the map, St Pierre who travels between the lanes in the “jungle,” freshman psychology major Fernando Trujillo in the middle lane, and Roberts and junior finance major Michal Kedzierski paired in the bottom lane.
While traditional sports teams have practice facilities and stadiums, the Lions starting five competes out of their own dorm rooms and off-campus houses in the second division of the Collegiate Starleague. There, they battle teams around the world for glory and to-be-announced prizes.
“I also think it's harder to spectate this kind of sport and get a bigger audience,” Trujillo said. “This is something that we're all doing from our own living areas, either off campus or on campus, versus actually going to a field at TCNJ and doing it in front of an audience.”
The “League” team isn’t the only Lions gaming group that’s found success at a national level: The CGC’s “Super Smash Bros. Melee” team defeated talented lineups from Rutgers University and more, as they traveled as far as New York City to earn second place in the Tri-State region of The Melee Games — the national collegiate circuit for “Melee.”
In the case of the “League” team, this win was a statement for the group that struggled to gain Student Government recognition in Fall 2014, as reported by The Signal.
“I've been doing CStar with TCNJ since my sophomore year,” Roberts said. “It wasn't really organized at that point. It was kind of 'find four people at TCNJ who play “League” and sign up.’ We did OK. We were middle of the table pretty consistently. We also entered a tournament to get into uLoL, which is the highest level (for non-Big-Ten teams), and we managed to get to the round of 16 in a 128-team tournament.”
Roberts said this is the first year the “League” team consolidated all of the most talented players into one roster.
Although not many students are familiar with the College’s competitive gaming success, St Pierre feels his interests are supported by his peers.
“I think there's a friendly attitude toward all of it, so people are encouraged to be like a nerd, I guess,” St Pierre said. “As opposed to being told ‘That's lame. Why are you doing that for?’ I think there's a lot of encouragement for the Melee players, especially. It's just a really fun game that people have been playing for a while.”
Both Roberts and St Pierre hope the team’s success will rejuvenate the CGC, which they feel is underutilized.
“I know there's a lot more people that are interested in the games CGC endorses and promotes than the people that are in CGC,” St Pierre said. “I think it'd be awesome to get more people joining the club.”
As the Lions prepare for playoffs, Roberts, who makes most of the tactical decisions in and out of the game, believes studying film and scouting opponents, like in any team sport, will be key.
“I actually think a big factor to winning both of those games (against the Cougars) was our champion select,” Roberts said. “Before the game, I'll do a bit of research just to see what they play and what strategies we can use. They played into our hands both draft phases. We got the champions that we wanted and denied the champions they were best at.”
While winning it all is the ultimate goal, Roberts, who graduates this spring, hopes the team will improve even more in the years to come.
“I know at the very highest level, you would need official university recognition, but we haven't really opted into that level yet,” he said. “I'm hopeful for next year — I won't be here anymore — but (the team’s manager) is working to make sure next year we'll be competing at a higher level than we competed at this year.”
Roberts is the team’s highest ranked player: He’s currently ranked in “Challenger,” which is the top 200 in North America, compared to the game’s 100-million-plus player population. But St Pierre and company are all close behind. When St Pierre joked he was ranked higher than Roberts at one point, Roberts fired back in a display of the team’s light-hearted rapport.
“You were challenger for a week in the beginning of the season, before anyone played,” Roberts jabbed back to St Pierre’s boast. “Back when every game was plus 26 (ranked points), minus eight. He took advantage. You're one of those fake Challengers.”
Like any team, the CGC consists of a bunch of guys with a common interest, pushing each other through adversity and toward greatness. Regardless of whether or not it’s a videogame or a traditional sport, the “League” team continues to put the College on the map in a positive light.
Although Roberts never became a professional player, he’s happy with where he stands at the game’s peak.
“I've been playing ‘League of Legends’ since early high school,” he said. “Over that time I've definitely grown a lot and participated on a lot of teams. I don't know how much time I'll be able to commit to this after college, but it's definitely been a journey for me.”
(02/08/17 5:43am)
By Connor Smith
Managing Editor
When the College began The Campaign for TCNJ four years ago, consultants claimed it would be difficult to raise $25 million by June 2017, according to College Spokesperson Dave Muha. Instead, the College nearly doubled that estimate — with four months to spare.
President R. Barbara Gitenstein announced the campaign hit its $40 million milestone on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at a breakfast with campus leaders.
“I’ve always felt that if we were to undertake the enormous effort of mounting a comprehensive campaign, we would have to do better,” Gitenstein said, according to a press release. “And so, $40 million was our stretch goal.”
A $100,000 gift from alumnus Leo Kelly (’97), which went to students from Allentown, N.J.; Bordentown, N.J.; and Trenton, N.J., pushed the campaign over the $40 million milestone, according to the press release.
For students, this means scholarships, facilities and academic enrichment will all be bolstered thanks to the donors’ generosity. Of the money raised, $20 million will go toward student scholarships and $14 million will benefit the student experience, according to Muha.
Examples of fundraising priorities include $500,000 for annual full-tuition scholarships, while student enrichment goals include travel scholarships, athletic travel, the lecture series and more. The campaign also sought to ensure the STEM Complex provides access to modern labs and cross-disciplinary environments.
Vice President for College Advancement John P. Donohue told The Signal that this goal was a massive undertaking.
“There was so many things that TCNJ excels in: the academics, the student life and those things. And fundraising had lagged a little bit behind,” Donohue said. “I think it demonstrated that alumni really do care about the financial burden that students are carrying, and trying to alleviate that. I think it really helped us fine tune our messages, back to alumni and other people that want to support the College.”
Donohue also emphasized the generosity of 11,891 donors, which includes students, faculty, alumni and anyone interested in the College’s success.
“This was not a campaign of a handful of really big gifts,” he said. “Students have been fabulous. When we had our Day of Giving, students (were) lining up outside of Eickhoff. Faculty and staff have been very active and very generous. Meeting with donors and the alumni and our volunteers have been extraordinary.”
While the College’s name has changed several times throughout the years, Donohue thanks the alumni for making the College what it is today.
“What we tell folks is that the only reason TCNJ is as good as it is now is because they were as good as they were when they were here,” he said. “I think that’s resonated with folks. Everyone wants to be a part of this institution, whatever its name was. It’s been pretty exciting and rewarding to talk to some older alums.”
While campaign co-Chairs Allen Silk and alumna Barbara Meyers Pelson (’59) were thankful to every donor who made this campaign a success, both expressed interest in pushing beyond to goal in the coming months.
“This campaign has never been about simply reaching a dollar goal,” Silk and Pelson wrote in a message to volunteers, according to the press release. “Its purpose is to provide the vital support the college needs to fulfill its important mission — to continue to innovate, inspire and engage future generations of students.”
The campaign will continue until June 30, and both co-chairs encourage donors to join in on the ¨historic moment.”
(01/07/17 10:37pm)
By Connor Smith
Managing Editor
On Saturday, Dec. 31, Campus Police arrested Levittown, Pa., resident Jon Cannon, who has been charged in connection with the residence hall intrusions in the fall semester, according to an email sent to the campus community on Tuesday, Jan. 3, by College spokesperson Dave Muha.
Cannon, 25, was arrested at work on criminal sexual contact, burglary and trespassing charges in reference to an intrusion on Oct. 19 in Cromwell Hall, according to NJ.com. Charging papers allege that Cannon illegally entered a dorm and touched a female student.
Cannon is also suspected in other intrusions throughout the fall semester, including one on Sept. 10 in Cromwell Hall and another on Oct. 21 in New Residence Hall, NJ.com reported.
“The College thanks the members of our police department who worked on this case,” Muha wrote in his email from Tuesday, Jan. 3. “They were meticulous in their review of evidence and worked closely with the county prosecutor’s office and local law enforcement agencies to bring the charges that led to his arrest.”
Cannon had already been charged in October 2015 for similar incidents at Rider University, NJ.com reported.
“You’re so beautiful, I just have to kiss you,” Cannon said to a Rider student during the intrusion on Sept. 11, 2015, according to Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Mary Stevens in another NJ.com report.
Cannon was accepted into Mercer County Superior Court's Pretrial Intervention program on Oct. 24, but his connection to the College’s intrusions were not yet suspected, according to NJ.com. The program, which is meant to ease the punishments for first-time offenders, could have allowed Cannon’s record to be clear had he passed three years of supervision and conditions of acquiring and maintaining employment, according to NJ.com.
The intrusions heightened security on campus in the fall semester as the police presence increased and students were advised to be wary of anyone who followed them into a residence hall without swiping their own student ID, according to The Signal.
(11/29/16 4:43am)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
After a tough loss to open the season, the College’s wrestling team bounced back in a big way as they trounced the King’s College Monarchs on Wednesday, Nov. 16, with a 33-6 victory. The Lions also earned one win and two losses on Saturday, Nov. 19, in the York College Duals.
“The guys are wrestling hard,” head coach Joe Galante said. “They’re using good strategies that we’re using in practice. That’s translating to the mat, so it’s good to see.”
Sophomore Luis Rivera, who finished last season with a 10-4 record in dual meets, opened the College’s match against King’s at 125. Behind in the final seconds of the bout, Rivera managed a reversal, as he edged out his opponent with a 5-4 decision. With an early 3-0 lead, the Lions never looked back.
At 133, freshman Mike Plaska wrestled in his first dual match of his career. Once again, a bout went down to the final seconds. Although it took until overtime, Plaska earned his first dual match win with an 11-9 decision.
Fellow freshmen Anthony Gagliano (141) and Giancarlo Crivelli (149) earned back-to-back major decisions that put the Lions ahead, 14-0.
According to Galante, the team’s freshmen are working hard and buying into the team’s mentality.
“The young guys are fresh, excited and motivated,” he said. “They’re internally motivated, doing their thing and really listening to our mentality and the things we’re trying to preach.”
King’s College earned its first points at 157 with a 5-1 decision, but the Lions fired back at 165 when senior Nick Herring scored a 19-9 major decision, which poised his team for to a blowout with the score at 18-3.
Freshman Marcus Sherrod won the Lions second overtime decision at 174, while freshman Dan Kilroy scored the first pin of the night at 184. By then, the dual was out of hand, but the Lions didn’t slow down from there.
At 197, sophomore Alex Mirabella pinned his opponent in under a minute — 59 seconds to be exact — and King’s ended the night with a heavyweight decision, which was only a brief reprieve from a 33-6 thrashing.
“I think we did a good job keeping our composure, when the match was close and, especially, in the third period,” Galante said. “The guys stayed composed.”
In the York College Duals, the College went against Shippensburg University, Camden County College and York College.
Against Shippensburg, the College kept it close until the final three bouts. There, Shippensburg combined two major decisions and a win by fall to take the first win of the day, 28-19.
The College seemed more comfortable against Camden. Junior Austin Maltez opened the match at 125 with a 2:47 win by fall. Freshman Mike Plaska pounced with an early lead as he notched a shutout win by technical fall.
Gagliano and senior Billy Reardon combined decisions at 141 and 149 to further extend the Lions lead. Both teams traded decisions at 157 and 165, but Kilroy scored another pin, this time at 1:54.
With 26 points overall, the Lions lost the final three weights, but won the dual 26-16.
The final dual, against York was another tough loss for the Lions. The usual Lions lead never materialized, as York opened up by scoring a technical fall and decision in the first two bouts.
Gagliano won by fall at 141, and the Lions strung together points at 157, 165 and 174. York, which already beat Camden 35-9 and Shippensburg by a single point, secured points in the final three bouts, and ended the day with a 21-14 win and a 3-0 record on the day.
The Lions, now 2-3, look forward to the New Standard at York on Saturday, Dec. 3, where they hope to build on last year’s successful performance in which they earned four placings, including a first place at 141.
According to Galante, proper mentality will be key.
“My senses were heightened (against Stevens), and they’re the same against King’s,” he said. “The guys need to be the same. They need to be ready, whether it’s Stevens or King’s, they need to prepare and execute the same way. The opponents shouldn’t matter.”
(11/28/16 8:43pm)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
In most cases, the College treats students living on campus well. The rooms are cozy enough, the food is passable and the campus usually looks splendid. That said, a few minor changes could go a long way toward improving the overall experience.
First off, why is every useful exit alarmed? I understand the importance of keeping intruders out at night, but during the day? New Residence Hall, for example, has a quaint area that’s gated off from the back. One would think that the doors could easily provide basic access, but no, they’re alarmed.
Some of these doors, like the ones by the T-Dubs entrance, don’t even go off. If the alarm maybe takes some time to go off, then there should be a sign that indicates the alarm is delayed. Why do I have to play a game of roulette every time I want to leave the damn building?
Speaking of T-Dubs, can we have a quick discussion about the cost of mac and cheese? A tiny bowl can cost as much as $15. Last time I checked, a scoop or two of noodles and cheese doesn’t cost the same on the open market as filet mignon.
The worst part is that this dish is actually pretty good. Freshman year I was out of points by mid-November in large part due to the mac and cheese. I understand that points and dollar amounts have a conversion rate, but $15 for mac and cheese is criminal.
Another gripe I have is with the free mugs those with a Carte Blanche meal plan are provided. I don’t oppose free stuff, even if they’re really just taking it out of our overall cost. However, the “spill proof” label should be reconsidered. I’ve seen these bad boys tip over and pour out more than any other mug.
What’s worse is that they’re the only mugs approved for use in the Library. Do they want coffee and gatorade all over the study tables? If this is the best we have in spill prevention, then maybe we need to go back to the drawing board.
Lastly, let’s talk about swipe access. Due to safety concerns, swipe access to residential buildings prior to 5 p.m. were revoked from everyone that doesn’t live in said building. The point is to stop intruders, but they’re the ones who are not swiping into the building.
Why are we punishing people who play by the rules rather than the tailgaters who follow someone who swipes into the building? If I have a club meeting in the Cromwell Lounge, I should be able to go there during the day. I pay the same amount as they do to attend and live at the College.
Restricting our rights is not the way to handle safety. Why not improve surveillance and add cameras that can actually identify potentially intruders, rather than some blurry images that show some dude wearing green?
The fact that these are the only concerns I can think of, other than Sodexo as a whole, is probably a good thing. Many schools have it much worse, so I’m glad the College is nice enough that any real criticism is just nitpicking.
(11/15/16 5:30am)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
The College’s wrestling team opened its season on Wednesday, Nov. 9, on the road against the rival Stevens University Ducks. The Lions also competed in the Ursinus College Fall Brawl on Saturday, Nov. 12.
Stevens, who upset the Lions in last year’s NCAA Eastern Regional Tournament, overcame a 20-15 deficit in the final bout to eke out a 21-20 victory.
“Team wrestling is tough,” head coach Joe Galante said. “We are looking to get better each and every day.”
The Lions saw four seniors graduate last spring, including former All-American Antonio Mancella. The new-look Lions lineup featured five freshmen, as junior James Goldschmidt was the only returning starter against the Ducks.
“We have great freshman additions, as well as senior leadership,” Galante said. “I’m proud of the progress so far this season.”
Freshman Dan Ortega drew first blood with an 8-5 decision at 125, but Stevens fired back at 133 to tie things up at 3, which set the tone for the tightly contested dual match. Sophomore Eric Friedman battled for a 3-1 decision to put the Lions ahead 6-3.
At 149, 157 and 165, Stevens dominated and amassed a 15-6 lead, which included a major decision by sophomore Thomas Poklikuha and a technical fall by senior Colin Navickas.
The College showed some resilience when junior Kellen Whitney stepped up at 174. Facing a nine-point deficit, Whitney brought the Lions back with a 13-4 major decision.
At 184, freshman Dan Kilroy made back-to-back major decisions and brought the College within one point. The rally continued at 197, as sophomore Alex Mirabella made quick work of his opponent. His 2:22 win by fall was the quickest bout of the night, and the Lions took the lead at 20-15.
In the final bout, heavyweight senior Pat Schnider fought to defend the lead, but fell victim to a pin at 3:36. The Ducks won the dual, 21-20.
At the Ursinus College Fall Brawl, senior Nick Herring clocked in a dominating 4-0 performance and won first at 165. Kilroy, meanwhile, placed second at 174. Freshman Anthony Gagliano also placed third at 141.
“It’s an exciting for TCNJ wrestling,” Galante said.
Galante hopes students will come out and support the team in its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Packer Hall. The Lions, who are four wins away from earning win No. 700, will face off against Kings College.
(11/13/16 5:06pm)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
Students who swiped into the Atrium at Eickhoff this week might have noticed something was off. The usual spirited greetings of “Y’all got this in the bag!” and “You’re almost over the hump!” were absent from the main dining hall on campus.
The source, beloved cashier Eve Cruz, was fired by Sodexo on Monday, Nov. 7, in a decision that left students and coworkers alike seeking answers.
“I've been crying and everything, boss,” Cruz told The Signal. “It hurt me so bad. It's almost killing me. I've been trying to keep my pressure.”
Cruz, who became an icon at the College for her constant showers of positivity and school spirit, said Sodexo accused her of letting students into the Atrium without swiping in and for talking badly about the College and Sodexo. Cruz denied these allegations in an interview with The Signal.
“We recognize that Eve’s separation is hard for students to accept, and fully appreciate what she meant to them,” Patrice Mendes, general manager of Sodexo at the College, wrote in a statement. “As a long-term employee, she was a member of our team and we also have found this to be a difficult separation.”
According to Mendes, who said she could not disclose details of employment separation, Cruz’s union representative was involved in the process from the beginning, and she was given a hearing with the Union and Sodexo present. Mendes also said Sodexo follows a progressive discipline policy, which requires a series of warnings and reviews before final termination.
According to employees in the Atrium who requested anonymity, most of the staff cannot believe the news.
“Shock. Not outrage, but anger,” one employee told The Signal. “She goes all out for y’all. We all think Eve deserves another chance.”
Another worker implied that while some workers might be happy to pick up her shifts, the general consensus is that Cruz was mistreated.
Many students discovered Cruz’s firing on Facebook, when junior economics major Leo Boerstoel posted on her timeline to ask if she had really been fired. More than 345 students reacted and commented to show their support for Cruz.
“We all know what an amazingly sweet, kind, fiercely loving person Eve is and we love her to death--so let's show it to everyone," one student commented. "I love TCNJ very dearly but it's more important that they know we're not going to let them get away with this."
According to senior biomedical engineering major Augie Pfluger, students are frustrated and disheartened.
"Eve was such a positive spirit on this campus, and she never failed to brighten up my day," Pfluger told The Signal via Facebook Messenger. "I would like to believe that TCNJ does care about the well being of their students, but I think they need to investigate the intentions of the companies they choose to partner with."
The loss of Cruz could be a blow to students and faculty alike. According to Larissa Cantwell, an ambassador and an elementary education and psychology double major, Cruz maintained a critical role in getting students excited to come to the College.
“She is mentioned all the time (when we give tours) and we love when she talks to our parents,” Cantwell said. “We always say Eve and Larry are the best.”
Cruz, who refers to students as “bosses,” claims she was told not to return to the campus. That means football games and other College activities might be missing their biggest fan.
Cruz impacted the student body with her positivity and gifts. According to Cruz, management often told her she shouldn’t spend her own money for candy or for students to enter the Atrium.
“Where I come from, the kids don't have opportunities like that,” Cruz said. “These bosses are going into the world to make a better world now… Some of them can't go home for Halloween, so they celebrate here on the campus. Yeah, I get candy for them. They say 'Oh, Eve. You shouldn't be spending your money on them.' I've been here almost 10 years.”
While Cruz said she never talked negatively about Sodexo or the College, she would often hear complaints from students and parents.
“I just told the kids to do what I would do,” she said. “If I'm not satisfied with something, let the person know. If my bosses are spending their money with (Sodexo), they should be getting the satisfactory of what they're looking for, or something very close to it.”
According to Mendes, Sodexo is willing to discuss any and all other grievances students may have. A Dining Services Committee, in partnership with students, meets every other week.
“Any student who has a suggestion, comment or grievance is welcome to attend,” Mendes wrote in an email. “The Meetings are held every other Wednesdays at 2:00 in Social Sciences building room 230. Our next meeting is 11/30 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Meanwhile, Cruz is hopeful that she’ll be able to return and help the students who need more positivity and support in their lives.
“I want y'all to be happy,” Cruz said. “That's why I'll be in the poke wars (on Facebook) with the kids. Just like I told them, we in a poke war ’cause every time I poke you, I'm thinking about you. I got some of the kids that hit over 2,000 pokes. I'm genuine with my bosses.”
(11/10/16 8:17pm)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
The issue of free speech on college campuses was a notable battleground in the conservative movement to elect Donald Trump as president of the U.S.
Considering the significance of this debate in the recent political landscape, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) — a bipartisan organization whose mission is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities — informed The Signal that the College maintains a dreaded “red light” rating due to several policies that allegedly restrict student and faculty speech rights on campus.
The rating — which was last updated in February — cites several infractions in the College’s zero tolerance harassment policies, such as one that restricts language that may be considered “derogatory or demeaning” in reference to “a person’s race, gender, age, religion, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, ethnic background, or any other protected category.”
The College’s sexual harassment policy, meanwhile, drew similar concerns from FIRE. According to an excerpt on FIRE’s website, displaying sexually suggestive objects, cartoons, posters, magazines or pictures of scantily-clad individuals are considered violations of the College’s sexual harassment policy.
FIRE cites a Supreme Court precedent in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education — referred to as the Davis Standard — where the court defined student-on-student harassment as speech “that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so undermines and detracts from the victims’ educational experience, that the victim-students are effectively denied equal access to an institution’s resources and opportunities.”
Given this standard for determining harassment, FIRE argues the College cannot punish students for telling another sensitive student a joke or creating a suggestive cartoon.
According to Head Media Relations Officer Tom Beaver, the College takes students’ rights very seriously.
“The College is committed to maintaining a culture that fosters the free exchange of ideas and respectful disagreement, but also ensures an inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment,” Beaver said.
Beaver cited President R. Barbara Gitenstein’s prior commitment to constructive dialogue, when the College announced its partnership with the Sustained Dialogue Institute.
“The Institute, which facilitates constructive dialogue around difficult and divisive issues, is working with the College to help position us as a leader in confronting challenging topics with civility and respect,” Beaver said.
Although the College is open to discourse, several red light policies could create a situation where students are unconstitutionally punished for expression. According to FIRE, administrators should change said policies or risk a First Amendment lawsuit and personal liability.
The College isn’t the only school that potentially violates First Amendment rights. FIRE warned 110 other schools, including Princeton University and William Paterson University, of similar red light ratings. Rutgers University, which drew criticism for its handling of Breitbart Tech Editor Milo Yiannopoulos during his Feb. 9, 2016, visit, maintains a less severe “yellow light” rating for ambiguity in its policies.
(11/08/16 1:08am)
By Connor Smith
News Editor
To paraphrase the late Yogi Berra, college is 90 percent mental, and the other half physical.
With that in mind, New York Times best-selling author Gretchen Rubin visited the College on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and facilitated a discussion about burnouts, mentalities and the development of fulfilling habits.
Rubin opened her presentation in the Education Building with a personal story of how she transitioned from law — with a job as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — to a more enjoyable life as an award-winning author and podcaster in the field of habits and happiness.
“When I finally realized I wanted to be a writer, I had an idea for a book that I wanted to write,” Rubin said to the audience. “I looked up at the Capitol dome one afternoon and I thought, ‘What am I interested in that everybody else in the world is interested in?’ I thought, ‘Power. Money. Fame. Sex.’ And that got me started on my first book, which is ‘Power Money Fame Sex.’”
Rubin continued to work for O’Connor during her initial research. Rubin used the Library of Congress throughout the process, which she said would have been awkward for anyone checking her office’s search history.
“Little known fact: If you are a Supreme Court justice, you can actually check out books from the Library of Congress,” she said. “I was checking books on things like ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas: Reflections of Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ as part of my research. And what they thought Justice O’Connor was doing with that book — they never asked, so I never told.”
Rubin then opened up about her research into various mental quirks, like “night people” and “day people,” which Rubin asserted is not just a matter of converting one’s habits.
“It’s not a question of if you just go to bed earlier,” she said. “It’s largely genetically determined, and it’s also a function very much of age. It is very hard for people that are night people to be efficient, creative and energetic very early in the day.”
Rubin believes embracing one’s preferences is the key to long-term success.
“Instead of beating yourself up and trying to make yourself into a morning person, maybe you can set things up to do it when you’re most productive and creative,” she said.
Rubin also discussed workloads and answered questions about her theories on how different people respond to deadlines. She divides people into two categories: sprinters — those who need to push the limits of a deadline to succeed — and marathoners — those who work best planning work out and never pushing deadlines.
“Some people are marathoners and some people are sprinters,” she said. “Sprinters can sometimes be confused with procrastinators. Procrastinators and sprinters are both working against a deadline. Sprinters, they love it. They look back on their work with pleasure and think that it was great. Procrastinators are full of regret.”
Rubin encourages people to embrace their genetic wiring instead of working in spite of it.
“It can be tricky when you’re in a situation where people are insisting that you have to work one way, when your natural work style is another way,” Rubin said.
Rubin then discussed her ideas in and inspiration for her best-selling book “The Happiness Project.”
“When I wrote ‘The Happiness Project,’ I had 12 personal commandments, which were the big, big, big ideas that I want to govern my life,” she said. “The first one is to be ‘Gretchen.’”
Rubin said she wished she figured that out earlier, especially at the age of many of the students in attendance.
“I have to say that in college, and really in law school, I never really thought about what was true for me,” she said. “What actually was interesting? I never really thought about it. I was very focused on what I should do, and doing a really good job at that. If I looked back, there were all kinds of clues that I wanted to be a writer.”
Rubin also discussed drift, which she described as a person making a decision without actually deciding.
“Drift seems easy because it’s just going along with the current event,” she said. “In fact, drift can be a tremendous amount of work.”
According to Rubin, many medical students come to her and realize the only reason they devoted their lives to medicine was due to social pressure and drift.
“They look at me with terrified eyes and think, ‘Oh my God, I realized I’m in medical school because both my parents are doctors and I’m really good at science... I never really thought if I actually wanted to be a doctor,’” she said.
Rubin later answered a few questions from the audience, including one on burnout.
“Our physical condition is always (going to) color our emotional condition,” she said. “Especially if you’re doing work that’s related to your mental performance, you just really need to think about your body. Getting enough sleep, getting some exercise, not letting yourself get too hungry and managing mild discomfort.”
Rubin spent the rest of the discussion talking about a concept in her next book: All people can be divided based on how they respond to inner and outer expectations.
Rubin separated everyone in the room into four categories: upholders, questioners, obligers and rebels. Upholders are those that always meet inner and outer goals, whereas questioners will only meet goals they perceive as worthwhile. Obligers will meet goals given by others, but struggle with inner goals, while rebels resist any expectations — the opposite of upholders.
According to Rubin, if you think her list is arbitrary or unviable, you are likely a questioner.
By the end of the summit, both students and faculty alike were left with much to ponder, as Rubin’s goal was to trigger self-reflection in a path toward fulfillment.
In many ways, she succeeded.